No. 3 Texas Food: Everything Fried and on a Stick

What’s more Texan than snacking on a pulled-pork sundae while slurping down an ice-cold Coca-Cola? Indulging in these tasty treats while visiting the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ — Texas’ greatest tradition. The Show is the one place Houstonians can go to try anything and everything fried and on a stick. From Twinkies to corndogs, you name it and you can fry it at the Show.

Fried, Savory and Tasty.

Every spring, the Show draws millions of visitors from across the country to NRG Park for the world’s largest livestock show and most innovative rodeo. Also in attendance are livestock, horse, youth and commercial exhibitors from across the state of Texas and beyond. For three weeks, the Show strives to offer its guests a variety of food options both traditional, and out of the ordinary for the adventurous type.

Although prominent, don’t be fooled, fried goodies aren’t the only thing you will find at the Show. Vendors offer a large selection of cuisines from American to Mexican and Cajun to Italian. Booths selling classic fair food staples such as hamburgers, corn dogs and fries can be found in Rodeo Plaza, alongside vendors who put a spin on traditional dishes. If you’re feeling adventurous, ditch the anchovies and top your pizza with scorpions — yes, scorpions!

For the Sweet Tooth

Sweet treats do not go unrepresented at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. First, start your day with a Show staple — a gooey cinnamon roll drizzled with sweet icing and topped with crunchy pecans. For the ultimate breakfast of champions, pair your cinnamon roll with a piping-hot coffee or a cold glass of orange juice.

Kabobs are not only reserved for shrimp and vegetables at the Show. There’s no going back once you’ve sunk your teeth into chocolate-dipped cheesecake on a stick. This rich, chocolatey concoction is sure to give you a boost of energy to visit every shopping booth in the NRG Center. Wash it down with a glass of Texas-style sweet tea — you can never have too much sugar!

Gold Buckle Foodie

If you still can’t decide what to snack on during Show, start by trying dishes from the Gold Buckle Foodie Awards. With categories such as Best Breakfast Food, Classic Fair Food and Best Food-on-a-Stick, the contest highlights a variety of unique dishes offered by the Show’s more than 65 dining vendors.

Savory, sweet and unique, the winners of the Gold Buckle Foodie Awards will be announced Thursday, March 9. Visitors who try all the winning dishes will earn prizes from the Social Station and bragging rights for trying all eight dishes! Download the RᴏᴅᴇᴏHᴏᴜsᴛᴏɴ mobile app for iPhone and Android to learn more about the contest and you can become the next Gold Buckle Foodie!

The Show welcomes visitors March 7–26, 2017. Extended shopping and dining hours are available during Spring Break Stampede, March 13–17. Visit rodeohouston.com for a complete listing of shopping and dining hours for vendors located in the NRG Center and NRG Arena.